Apparatus for pumping.



UNITED STATES PATENT orme.

SILAS W. TITUS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y'.

APPARATUS FOR PUIVIPING.

Specication of Letters Patent.

' Patented Aug'. 5,1913.

Application filed January 14, 1913. Serial No. 741,971.

T0 all 'whom t may concern Be it known that 1,. SILAs W. Trrus, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, Kings county, in. the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful AImprovements in Apparatus for Pumping, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act specification.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for pumping and the same has for its object more particularly to provide a simple, eicient and reliable method of, and apparatus of raising water and ,other liquids from wells and other sources of deep supply.

Further said invention has for its object to provide an apparatus by means of which water or liquid located at a point too low for a suction plump to lift may be easily and eiciently raised to a level where the suction 'pump may become eiective to lift said water or 'liquid and distribute the same as may be desired. Further said invention has for its object to provide an apparatus` wherein air under pressure is employed to raise a liquid from a low level to such level where a suction pump may become eiective to lift the same simultaneously from a series of wells or receptacles and at the same time the air pressure which is. utilized to that end employed to equalize the pressure in all such wells or receptacles.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends my inventionconsists in the method hereinafter pointed out, and in the novel details of construction and in the rcombination, connection and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and then .'pointed out in the claims.

For Athe purposes of this application I shall describe my invention in connection withr a series of deep wells such as oil or Water wells in which the level of the liquid is constantly or only occasionally at a level too low to permit of the ump to become effective to raise the liquidi.)

Inthe accompanying drawings Il have shown in diagrammatic form my invention applied to a .series of wells and in said drawings 10 designates a series of deep oil or water wells which have been sunk in the round and each having its upper end sealed aclosure 11- in the form of a bushing, pug, cement or other suitable means. 12

@notes a pumping station'in which is located an air compressor 13 and a suction :pump 14.

Within each of the wells 10 is disposed a suction pipe 15 of such length as will permit the pump t raise the liquidinto which thc lower end of said suction pipe extends. The upper end of each of said suction pipes extends through the closure 11, at the upper end of the well, and has its projecting end connected by means of a T-joint 15a to a main suction line 1G leading to the pump 14. The T-joint 15a is closed at its upper' end, and through its horizontal members extend an air pressure pipe 17, and an air pressure relief or equalizing pipe 18. The said pipes 17 and 18 merely pass through the ends of said T-joint and have no direct communication therewith nor with the main suction pipe 16.

19 denotes a main air line which extends from a receptacle 20 receiving air from the compressor 13. Any well known means may be provided upon the receptacle 20 whereby the operation of the compressor may be automatically discontinued when the pressure within said receptacle 20 reaches a predetermined degree, and be set in operation again when the pressure falls below said predetermined pressure.

The air pressure pipe 17 is connected at its `upper end to the main air line 19, and is provided with a valve 21 having its stem 212L connected to a diaphragm 22 connected tothe upper end of the air equalizing pipe 18. In order to relieve the equalizing pipe 1S and diaphragm 22 of the excess of preslsure beyond that required to seat the valve 21, a relief valve 23 is ,provided which will permit of the escape lof air beyond the pressure required tofseat the valve 21. 22 def notes a. diaphragm arranged in. the upper end o said equalizing pipe v18 which is adaptedto control the operation of the valve 21. The air pressure pipe 17 extends but a 'short distance into the well 10, while the air equalizing pipe 18 extends downwardly through the closure 11 and has its lower end adjusted to a point suihciently above the lower end of the suction pipe 15'to maintain the liquid level at such height within the suction pipe 15 as will enable the pump to act properly thereon. The operation of the apparatus is as follows: It we assume that the level of the liquid within the several wells is too low to enable the suction pump 15, the compressor 13 is then put in operation and air forced through the main air pipe '19, branch pipes 17' and into the several wells. As air is forced into the Wells the tendency thereof is to cause the level of the liquidwithin said Wells surrounding the suction pipe l5 to be depressed, and-consequently rise Within said suction pipe l5. is soon as the pressure has been attained necessary to 'raise the liquid Within the suction pipe 15 to the level Where the suction pump 14 will hecome edective to raise the Water further in said suction pipe 15 the pump Will draw the same through the main pipe 16 to the pump 14 by means of Which it is thendelivered to the point or place of discharge. Should the air pressure produced in any one or more of the Wells be greater than is necessary to raise the liquid Within the suction pipe 15 to the level Where the suction pump 14 becomes eliiective, the level of the liquid in the Well outside of the suction pipe 15 Will tall correspondingly and as soon as it tails far enough the lower end of the equalizing pipe 18 becomes' unsealed. When this occurs the excess air pressure is permitted to pass into the equalizing pipe 18, and actuat'e the diaphragm 22 to close the valve 2l. Whatever pressure in excess of that necessary to close the valve 21 may exist in the Well is then released by the relief valve 23 `which is adjusted to open betore the valve 2l can open. When the air pressure desired to lde maintained Within the Well is again restored, the valve 2l vvillv automatically open and permit air to enter again through the pipe 17 in order to con-- tinue the working pressure. f

It is to be noted that by means of my invention the air pressure Within each Well will be automatically regulated in rder to suit the varying character of the ground or material into which the Well is sunk, as Well as the level at which the liquid is maintained in the Well.

Having thus described my said invention what l" claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination with a subterranean source of liquid supply and a sealed ivell extending into the same, of a suction pipe extending into said Well, means for maintaining air under suicient pressure Within said well to raise the liquid level to a predetermined height within said suction pipe, an air relief pipe extending into said well and into the liquid therein to a given point below the'level of said liquid, and means for controlling the discharge ot' excess air pressure when the liquid Within said Well 'falls therein and unseals the end of said Iair relief pipe, substantially as specified.

il, 'The combination with a subterranean source of liquid supply and a sealed well `3 extending into the saine, a suction pump, a

incassa suction pipe extending therefrom into said Well, a source of air under pressure, an air pipe leading therefrom and extending into said Well, an air relief pipe connected to said air pipe and extending into said Well, and valve means for controlling the pressure Within said Well when the liquid falls therein and unseals the end of said relief pipe, substantially as specified. l

3.`The combination with a subterranean source of liquid supply and a scaled 'Well extending into the same, a suction pump,a suction pipe extending therefrom into said Well, a source of air under pressure, an air pipe leading therefrom and extending into said well, an air relief pipe connecte-d t0 said air pipe andextending into said Well, valve means for controlling the supplyr of air under pressure to said Well, and a safetyvalve for relievingl the excess ofair pressure Within said valve beyond the pressure required to seat the valve controlling the admission of air to said Well, substantially as specified.

4. The combination With a subterranean source of liquid supply and a series of sealed Wells extending into the same, of a suction pump, .a main suction pipe extending therefrom, branch suction pipes connected to said main suction pipe and extending into said Wells, a source of air supply under pressigne, a main air pipe extending therefrom, branch air pipes cennected to said main air pipe and extending into said Wells and terminating at a point above the liquid level therein, valve means for separately controlling said branch air pipes, air relief pipes having their lower ends extending into said Wells and into the liquid therein, and diaphragms communicating with the upper ends of said relief pipes and connected to the valves in said branch air pipes for actuatingthe same to discontinue the supply of air to the Wells when the pressure rises beyond a predetermined amount, substan-lIO tially as specified.

5. The combination with a subterranean source of liquid supply and a series of sealed wells extending into the same, of a suction pump, a main suction pipe extending therefrom, branch suction pipes connected to said main suction pipe and extending into said Wells, a source of air supply under pressure,

a main air pipe extending therefrom, branch air pipes connected tosaid main air pipe and extending into said Wells and terminating at a point above the liquid level therein, valve means for separately controlling said branch air pipes, air relief pipes having their lower Iends extending into said Wells and into the Vliquid therein, diaphragms communicating with the upper ends of said reliefpipes' and connected with the valves in said branch air pipes for actup ating the same to discontinue the supply oi i3@ air to the Weils when the pressure rises bel Signed at the city of New York, in the yond a predetermined amount, and safety county and State of New York, this ninth 10 valves arranged n said relief pipes for reday of January one thousand nine hundred leasing the excess of air pressure within i and thirteen. l

said wells beyond the amount necessary t0 SILAS W. TITUS. aetuate the diaphragms to close the valves Vitnesses:

cont-rolling the admission of air under pres- CONRAD A. DIETERICH,

sure to said Wells, substantially as specified. JOSEPH G. QU-INN, Jr. 

